Apparatus for applying asphaltic, bituminous, or other compound to fabrics or other materials.



Pzatented Sept. 3, A1918.

YW. C. MERRILL. APPARATUSFOR APPLYING ASPHALTIG, BITUIVIINOUS, 0R OTHER COMPOUND T0 FABRICS 0R THER MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I9. |916. 1,277,986.

ww RN sw W. C. MERRILL. APPARATUS FOR APPLYTNGASPRALUC, TTuMlNous, 0R OTHER coMPouNn To FABRICS oR OTHER MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I9. l9l6. 1 ,277,986, l PatentegSept. 3, 1918,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IY AIP. sf@ R @Tm IIIIIIIIII lll mwm UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIS o. MERRILL, 'or RosToN, isLiAssACHUSETTS', AssIGNoR, RY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, To THE MERRILL PRocEsScoMPANY, or BosToN, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING 'ASPHALTIQ BITUMINoUs, oR o'THER oinlrro'trnn l'To FABRICS 0R OTHER MIATER'IAII'JSl specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Seil-)13.3, 1918.

Original application led'De'cembenlS, 1 915, Serial No. 66,432. lDivided and this application led April 19,

i 191s. seria1No.92,1e7.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIs C. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Sui'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Applying Asphaltic, Bituminous, or other Compound to Fabrics or'other Materials, of which the following is a speci` ication.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the saturation and accelerate the absorption of asphalt or other-Water proofing compound l by paper, cloth, .fibrous felting or other material in order to increase its tensile strength and to render it water proof by the impregnation and absorption of the water proofing compound by the material under treatment, by reason of the cohesive bind-y ing properties of the asphalt or saturating compound when driven or impregnated under pressure into the interstices of the paper or other material as the asphalt or Saturating compound upon cooling chills and binds the fibers of the paper or other material impregnated and forms a composite mass of increased strength and also a Water proof impervious covering for roofing or other uses.

A further object is to increase the production of the finished material and to insure uniformity of the saturation and absorption by the material While under treatment. A

Another object is to deliver the asphalt or other Water proolinv compound intocontact with the materia under treatment-by pressure and at temperatures about 300 F. to 400 F. at the time of contact in distinction to the present methods, Where, as far as known to applicant, the practice is to pass the paper or other material to be treated slowly through a bath of the liquefied asphalt or other Suitable compound, usually at -a temperature less than 300 F and the rate n such as liquefied asphalt or other impreg- `nating compound, depending entirely upon capillary attraction for the saturation and penetration of the material under treatment,

and the large body of treating material,*that,

is, liquid asphalt or other compound, being more or less diiiiculty in maintaining this bath of material at the required temperature (about 300 F.) to permit-of'complete and rapid saturation.

By the present methods, longer travel of the treated material is necessary on account ofn the slowness of absorption of the treating compound by capillary attraction and this necessitates a long immersion in the bath to accomplish the desired saturation.

l In carrying out my invention the paper or other fibrous material for treatment is carried on rollers and heated or dried in the usual manner, and then passes down into a closed insulated Asaturating vat where the asphalt or other water proofing compound is delivered to the paper at the required temperature without previous exposure to the air, as it comes from the source of supply lowering the temperature whilewaiting forthe paper or other material to'besaturated, and being in a spray, spreadsand quickly covers al1 exposed surfaces of ythe paper passing the spray -nozzles of the saturating compound 'under pressure, The e'ect of this is to drive into the interstices ofthe material under. treatment the asphaltic or other Saturating compound, not depending alone upon capillary attraction or absorption, but upon an impelling force or pressure, and Where the sprays are arranged on opposite sides of the paperjor other material the result is that the entire body of the material under treatment is enetrated from side to side by this asphaltlc or other saturating compound, so as to cause a lcomplete saturation of the material from side to side of every fiber and thus produce a superior article ,f of manufacture for roofing and other purposes Where Water proofing cover is desired. The penetrative ei'ect is made variable'by an adjustment which permits of approach and retreat of the Spray nozzles from the cloth, paper or felt fabric to be treated l terial under treatment or its fibrous construction. The best results in treating heavier materials are obtained by increasing the rate of peneration and absorption depending upon the distance the spray nozzles are placed from the cloth, paper, felt fabric or other material, also on the pressure Which impels the saturating compound against the cloth, paper, felt fabric or other material, so that, for instance, a heavy thick felt which would be slow of absorption by the present methods can be increased in out-put by my invention, as the time required for capillary attraction to saturate this material is materially reduced by doing the same under pressure and forcing it in by using additional pressure, that is, the thicker the material the greater Will be the pressure applied to the liquefied asphalt or other saturating compound thus driving it in and overcoming the difference in weight by the difference in pressure, and at the same time for such material the jets will be brought closer to the material under treatment to apply a greater volume.

These and other objects are accomplished by my apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved apparatus for carrying out my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the saturating vat forming a partof the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the saturating vat with one of the ends partly broken away to show interior parts.

Fig. i is a top plan view partly in section of the heating apparatus for raising the temperature and liquefying the asphalt or other water proofing compound to render it-sufiiciently limpid to flow freely for spraying on to the paper or other fibrous material under treatment.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of the spraying devices in the saturating tank with the frame of the saturating tank partly broken away to show thespraying devices and the paper or other fibrous material under treatment.

F ig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one end of the saturating vat and one of the inlet feeds for the liquefied asphalt or other Water proofing compound.

Like letters of reference refer tolike parts throughout the several views.

The asphalt, bituminous or other impregnating compound for strengthenin and rendering Water proof paper or other brous material is pumped into the receptacle 1 through the nozzle 2 or any other desired inlet at a tem eraturefrom 150 F. to 250O F., more or ess, from a suitable storage tank where it has been previously heated by suitable source, as the expansion tank 5 and feed pipe 8, a pump or other circulating device 11 receives a liquid medium, as a 'suitable mineral oil, having a higher boiling point than 212o F. and this heating liquid medium is circulated and heated 'to raise the temperature of the asphalt or other impregnating material in the tank or receptacle 1 to liquefy or render the same sufliciently limpid to facilitate its easy and ready flow and spraying, as hereinafter described. This pump 11 forces this heating liquid medium through the pipe 16 into the pipe 13 which connects with the heating coil A located in the fuel oil heater 3, and this coil A extends to the opposite end of the fuel oil heater 3, as shown, and leaving this opposite end connects through the pipe 21 with the pipe 64 connected to the heating oil coil B located within the tank or receptacle 1, which coil B at its opposite end connects through the pipe 9 with the pipe 10 leading to the circulating heating liquid or oil pump 11 operated by any suitable mechanism. In this operation the valves 22 and 24 are closed and the valve 23 opened, 'so that the circulation of the heating liquid medium is from the eX- f pansion tank or source of supply 5 through the fuel oil heater 3 then through the receptacle containing the asphalt or other impregnating compound and then back to the pump 11, as described, thus forming a continuous circulation of the heating liquid for heating the impregnating compound in the receptacle l to the required temperature, about 300o F. to 1100o F., to produce sufficient limpidity for its easy flow and spraying. The pipe 14 leads upwardly from the pipe 16 to the top of the expansion tank 5 through the pipe 15 for the purpose of providmg a short circuit from the pipe 16 to the expansion tank 5 on the force side of the circulating pump 11 for cutting out, by opening the hand Valve 6, the circulation of the heating liquid medium through the heating coils A and B of the apparatus to meet conditions of pressure which might arise due to a lcold mass of the circulating heating liquid medium or oil in the coil A and the heater 3 or coil B in the receptacle 1 at circulating heating liquid medium or oil 1s raised to such a temperature as to flow freely `under the forced circulation by the pump 11 for heating the entire mass of the impregnating compound within the receptacle 1.

The pipe 17 connects with the pipe 14 and through the pipe 15 with the top of the expansion tank 5, and the automatic relief valve 7 of any desired construction relieves automatically anyv excess pressure arising at any time in the apparatus for reasons above stated, by circulating the heated oil through the pump.

The burner 18 receives a suitable supply of gas and air through the pipes 19 and 20 which are controlled by hand, or automatically if desired, to regulate the samef The arrangement of the heating coils A within` the fuel oil heater 3 brings into contact with the products of combustion extended coil surfaces through which the liquid heating medium or oil circulates and the heat from the products .of combustion circulates through and around the coils A so that all the heating surfaces possible are in contact with the heat units` of the products of combustion. This heating liquid medium from the supply tank 5 is kept in constant circulation through the previously described.

closed circulating conduit consisting of the pipes 16 and 13, coils A, pipes 21 and* 64, coils B and pipes 9 and 10 back to the cir culating heating oil pump 11 and brings the temperature of the contained asphalt, bituminous or other impregnating water proofing compound to about from 300 F. to 400 F., which produces such limpidity in the asphalt or other saturating compound to cause it to readily flow and spray.

Heating the asphalt or other impregnating compound to the predetermined temperature, say 300 F. to 400 F., produces complete liquefaction of this saturating compound so as to permit of its readily being sprayed by reason of its limpidity produced by such high temperatures.

This liquefied asphalt or other saturating compound then passes from the tank 1 through the pipe 27 past the opened valve 28 through the pipe 29 into the force pump 33, operated by any suitable mechanism,

and from the force pump 33 through pipe 34 past the opened valve 35 into the pi e 39 and` the T joint 81, thence into tlie branch pipes 37 and from these branch pipes into the opposite vertical pipes 56 and 57 leading respectively into the spray pipes 59 and 58 providedrespectivel'y with the spray nozzles and 61. The pipe 56 is connected by a swing joint (see Fig. 6) with one branch pipe 37 and passes through a stuffing box 63 and secured in place 'on the pipe 3 by the gland nut 38 provided with suitable Ipacking 64. The companion pipe 57 for the impregnating compound is connected to its branch pipe 37 in asimilar manner as that-describedabove for the pipes 37 and 56.

These vertical pipes 56 and 57 lare made adjustable to vary the location of the spray nozzles 55 and 61 by operating the adjusting nut 54 to canse the right aad left screw threaded rod 40 to swing or, operate the `pipes 56 and 57 and spray pipes 59 and 58 to bring the nozzles 55 or 61 nearer or farther away from the paper or other fibrous material under treatment.

The screw threaded rod 40 works at Aits opposite' .ends infthenuts 42 fast in the top o the opposite lever arms- 41 which are mounted on andv secured to thepipes 56 and 57 bytheset screw 62, so thatas the rod 40 is operated the lever arms 41 transmit their motion tothe sleeves56 and 57 and cause them to approach or 'recede from the paper, cloth or other materialV 53 under treatment in the saturating vat 44., as hereinafter described.

The pui` ose of this variation of the distances of t e spray nozzles 55 and 61 from the paper or 4other material under treatment is for the purpose of causing a' greater or less amount of liquefied impregnating' com ouud to be driveninto the interstices .of t e paper or other material '53, as for instance, the impregnating compound is more finely divided orcomminuted as the sprays recede from the paper orfmaterial 53 which is under treatment, so that in the treatment of paper or felt material of in-` creased thickness or density, a greater and increased pressure is necessary, so that the sprays are then brought closer to the paper and impinge on the paper or other material under treatment with greater force and greater volume, and conversely for thinner material, the sprays are moved away causing a lighter penetrative force and -a more. attenuated spray. This may be obtained by increasing the pressure, kee ino' the opposite spray nozzles apart and eveopinga fine spray under pressure for deeper penetration. j Any excess of the impregnating compound which may not be taken up by the fibrous material under treatment deposits inthe bottom of the saturating vat 44 and as it accumulates -lifts the float 71 pivoted on the bracket 72 and as the float lifts it operates the lever 73 to closethe electric Contact 74 to operate the pump 48 to draw the asphalt or imprefrnatiug compound from the bottom of the saturating vat 44 and pass it through the pipes 47 and 49, past the opened valve 79, through theilter 50 and pipe 51 back to the tank or receptacle 1 for heating and reuse.

The paper or other fibrous material 53 fm' treatment is rolled on a heating roller'52 of usual construction and passes down through shen down around the roller 65 and up iround the roller 66 and down around the roller (S7, then tangentially against the roller eS, thence through the pressure rollers 69 and out through through a suitable slot in :he cover 70 ofthe saturating vat 44 to suitable devices Well known inthe art. These rollers are for the purpose of increasing the impregnation by causing the surfaces of the material under treatment to become distended or stretched out so that the nnpregnating compound has readier ac ss to the fibers of the material. This saturatin g vat is insulated by suitable jacket of asbestos GO for the purpose of maintaining;A a high temperature Within the .interior and preventing radiation to the external atmosphere, so that the proper temperature. about 300o F. to 40()O F., Within the vat maintained during the treatment of the paper or other fibrous material by the liquefied asphalt or other impregnating cornpound. The excess of the impregnating compound which accumulates in the bottom of the saturating vat 44 is kept at a constant temperature by opening the valves 22, 43 and 46 to allow the heating liquid medium which is heated inthe fuel oil heater 3 to circulate through the pipe 26 into the manifold 76 thence through the coil 77 back to the manifold 76 and out through the pipe 25 back through the opened valve 24 into the pipe 64 connecting with the coils B in the tank or receptacle 1. This affords a complete circulation of this heating liquid medium or oil medium or oil for keeping the excess of impregnating compound in the vat 44 at such a' temperature as not to interfere with the saturation of the paper or other material passing through the interior of the saturating vat 44 at the high temperatures maintained as previously described in the interior of the saturating vat 4-4. The manifold 76 and the coil 77 are secured in place by the front plate in the bottom of the saturating vat 44'by means of bolts or other fastening devices to prevent leakage of the bat-h or access of the atmosphere to the satin-ating vat 44 which would cause chilling of the asphalt or other saturatng compound. This auxiliary heater may be removed from time to time for cleaning to remove deposits which may settle thereon from the bath and prevent radiation from the coil 77. A high temperature is maintained in this closed vat 44, about 300C F to 400o F., more or less, so that there is no lowering of the temperature of the saturating compound as it sprays on to the paper by reason of coming into contact with a cooler atmosphere in open tanks, and

ner/,eee

after the paper or other` material has been sprayed it passes, as above described, through a bath of asphalt or other saturating compound Whose temperature is maintained by external heat, so that the compound Within the saturating vat 44 is kept at high temperatures during the entire treatment of the cloth, paper, fibrous -felting or other material.

In my apparatus by means of the sprays and subsequent bath Within an inclosed heated insulated saturating vat there is a minimum amount of exposed surfaces to loss of heat by radiation, and the application of the saturating compound is made at high temperatures within predetermined limits and under suitable pressures, as found best adapted to the material under treatment.

' A suitable by-pass is provided for the pump 33 by means of the pipe 31 and a pressure relief automatic valve 32 Which in case of accidental undue pressure relieves the pipe line 39 and causes the heated impregnatin com ound to circulate around andA through the pump 33 instead of through the pipe 39 to the saturating vat 44. This pressure relief valve 32 is set at a point higher than the pressures maintained on the spray pipes 58 and 59 and acts as a constant automatic safety device in case of undue pressure or force beyond that Which is used in the spray pipes 58 and 59 to impregnate the material under treatment. The spray nozzles ma be arranged in series or staggered or otherwise found best to accomplish an even distribution, penetration and saturation of the saturating compound by the paper, cloth, felt fabric or other material under treatment. The area of the spray nozzles 55 and 6l is less than the area of the pipe delive from the force pump 83, so that the asp altic or other saturating compound is delivered under pressure into contact with the fabric under treatment and causes a uniform distribution, penetration and saturation of thev material under treatment.

The circulating pump 1l or other circulating mechanism is employed to keep this heating liquid medium, as a suitable mineral oil, in constant motion through the continuous closed conduit consisting of the pipes 16 and 13, coils 3 pipes 21 and 64, coil B and pipes 9 and 10 back to the pump 11, and in its transit it is brought in contact with high temperaturesin the fuel heater 3 such as would be produced by burning fuel oil, kerosene, gas or other heat producing material, and the circulating heating medium is advanced or pushed forward by the circulating pump 11 and the heat units stored in this medium are transferred to the mass of asphalt or like material of lower temperature contained Within the tank or medium that does not condense at a low temperature and does not concentrate the heat applied so as to carbonize the material under treatment because the heat units stored in this medium are under control and the temperature of the liquid heating medium at no time reaches a point that injures the integrity of the contained mass in the tank. Any suitable hand operated control or thermostat may be used to regulate the degree of temperature that may be desired.

Now by the use of this circulating oil heating Huid, a minimum pressure, say 5 to 10 lbs. per square inch, due to the friction of the heating fluid passing through the pipes and not due to the temperature of the circulating heating fluid, is maintained in the circulating coils, all the diiiiculties encountered in the use of steam are obviated and the danger of foaming is also entirely removed, and in the event of a leak occurring, the oil so escaping from the coils readily mingles and unites With the asphaltic compound and does not cause foaming. Furthermore there is no pressure Within the interior of the tank containing asphaltic compound during the heatin of this compound by this circulating oi for the reason that the heating medium is all contained in a tight circulating coil and is kept circulating, and furthermore the oil does not expand except through the expansion tank 5 provided for it on the exterior of the tank containing the asphaltic compound. Novv When the coil is full of circulating oil, any expansion of this oil in the conduit or coil is provided for by the expansiontank 5 into Which the expanded oil flows through the pipe 8, and relieves the pressure in the system, so that the dan- .ger of explosion is avoided and constant supervision unnecessary, and this oil circulating produces uniform distribution of its heat units.

In the continuous circulation of this heating fluid medium the losses usually attendant upon circulating steam do not occur, the loss being negligible in this circulating heating fluid medium, as condensation does not take place and the heat units imparted to the circulating heating fluid medium are given up directly when brought in contact with the material to be heated. No provision in this system of circulation is necessarily made as with steam to dispose of the condensation, and this circulatin heating uid medium bein a non-elastic liquid differs from a con ensible elastic fiuid like steam and may be used over and over again for heating the material under treatment. By this forced circulation of the heating liquid medium by the pump, the heat units are uniformly distributed to the material under treatment, and further by this rapid circulation of this heatin liquid medium, new surfaces of the heating liquid or oil are continuously presented to the heater and by this forced circulation the heated liquid or Joil is rapidly removed from the heater and thereby prevents carbonization of the heating liquid medium in the heater and the consequent crystallization of that portion of the heating oil conduit located in tne heater.

This circulating heating oil used as a heating Huid medium in this system is similar to that used in the apparatus shown 1n my co-pending application Ser. No. 831,922, filed April 15, 1914, and has a boiling point above 212 F. anda corbonizing point higher than the temperature required to properly liquefy the compound, so that 1n its circulation it imparts to the material under treatmentheat at high temperatures Without gasifying, as in the case of steam, and to impart temperatures higher than` is practicable with steam, thereby enabling the said circulating heating oil medium to be heated to high temperatures Without carbonization and the consequent deposit of carbon on the inner 'surfaces of the conduit. Such deposits of carbon on the interior of the heating conduit or coil prevent the easy flow of the heating oil and the ready transmission of heat units to the material under treatment on account of the obstruction in the conduit of carbon deposits and of the increased density of the circulating heating fluid by the forming of carbon in the circulating heating oil, and the integrity of the heating coil or conduit by such deposits of carbon is endangered because the'heat generated by the external heater is not readily accepted by the circulating heating oil medium and thereby causes a burning or crystallizing of the heating conduit or coil,

all of which difficulties are obviated by the use of a circulating heating oil Whose carbonizing point is higher than the temperature required for the proper liquefying of the material under treatment.

The temperature of the circulating heating iiuid medium when in use averages about 400 F. to 500 F. which gives approximately a temperature of about 300CJ F..to 4000 F. to the asphalt, low gravity oils or bituminous materials under treatment, and this temperature is high enough to produce a sufficient limpidity in any known form of asphalt or like materials to cause them to fioW freely before the carbonizing point of the asphalt or like materials or of the circulating heating liquid medium has been reached, so that the integrity of the materials under treatment is not destroyed, nor is there any loss or deterioration of the circulating heating liquid medium.

My treatment in liquefying at about 300 F. to 400 F., more or less, will reduce the asphalt or other saturating compound to such iimpidity as is necessary for the paper or other fibrous material to pass freely and easily through the bath and become impregnated by such compound and absorb the same, differs from the treatments at present in use, namely, by the use of steam or by direct heat.

ln the first instance where steam is employed to heat the material the method is objectionable as above set forth and ineffective owing to the comparatively low temperature of the steam at ordinary pressures for raising the contained mass, that is, liquid asphalt or other bituminous material to the temperature required, and where steam is used at high temperatures it is not consistent with safety, and further there is the objection to this high steam pressure in the difficulty of keeping the steam joints tight, and a further objectlon to the introduction of steam and water by leakage into the asphalt or other material under treatment which causes it to foam and again where such high pressures are used it is a danger in the hands of careless workmen and a menace in operation, and such pressures further necessitate the use of very heavy boiler plate which adds to theweight and expense of the apparatus.

In the second instance where direct heat is passed through flues or otherwise directly communicated to theA mass in the receptacle the method is undesirable, as it is attended withrdanger of injury to the material heated in the'receptacle by the direct heat passing through theiire flues owing AVto the high temperature of this direct heat, as it is a well known fact that asphaltic bas'e or bituminous materials carbonize at temperatures easily reached by` direct heat, and where direct heat is used it is difficult of control, as the temperatures range higher than the danger point of carbonization of the contained asphalt or other material under treatment, and further this direct heat does not uniformly distribute its heat units, but is apt to concentrate the heat units so as to carbonize the material under treatment. This carbonization of the liquid asphalt or other material in the tank or receptacle tends to disintegrate the asphaltic, bituminous or other material and to reduce the cohesive and resilient qualities thereof in use. The mass of liquid asphalt or other bituminous material has, great cohesion of its particles and does not freely `circulate and further it has low conductivity which prevents heat from readily permeating through the same, but my treatment of this asphalt or other like material Whichiis liquefied orl rendered sufficiently limpid at tempera-tures between 300 F. and Lf00 F. is accomplished by using a heating liquid or oil medium which ,has a boiling point above 212 F. and does not Larmes -carbonize at temperatures required to liquefy or render limpid the asphalt or other material under treatment, and further in my treatment the heating liquid or oil medium is under forced circulation, so that the heat does not concentrate at any one point Yor points, but it is circulated so rapidly as to distribute the heat units of the traveling liquid or oil medium to the entire mass of asphalt or other material lunder treatment, whereby the entire mass of asphalt or other compound receiving uniform heat becomes liquefied and attains a uniform temperature and reaches a temperature between 300 F. to 400 F., which is suliicient to liquefy or render limpid the said asphaltic or other compound which being heated and liquefied, as above described, does not cause carbonization of the asphalt or other compound, as the danger point of carbonization of such material is not reached during its proper liquefaction.

The operation of applying asphaltic or other compounds is carried on in a highly or superheated atmosphere within the saturating vat 44 where the compound is applied under pressure through spray nozzles to paper, cloth, burlap, fel-t or other materials on both sides of the fabric simultaneously, and as the pressure and volume are substantially equal and directly opposed from both sides the finely comminuted particles of the asphalt, bituminous or other satura-ting compound under these conditions penetrate the fabric and thoroughly permeate the fibers and cellular tissue thereof and render the fabric water proof and the fibers impervious to moisture, and in the case of non-porous or slightly porous materials a coating may be applied by a similar method, as above described for porous fabrics. Such opposite equal pressure and volume of saturating compound has the effect of increasing the penetrating force from both sides, because of the resistance offered by the fabricunder treatment by the oppositely arranged spray nozzles.

While l have described and illustrated the penetration or coating as from both sides of the article under treatment preferably, yet the penetration and saturation or coating may take place from one side under conditions which warrant the same. And further it will be understood that my method is applicable to the coating with or Without saturation on one side or both sides of the materials, whether they be porous or non-porous, the broad object of my invention being the depositing of the saturating and coating compound or a coating to strengthen the article and'permeate the fabrics or deposits a coating upon the same for Water proofing the same or other desired result.

rlhe method disclosed in this application is not claimed herein, but forms the subject matter of another application filed Dec. 13, 1915, Ser. No. 66,482, and of which this application is a division. A

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of thc United States, is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle for asphaltic, hitiiiiiinous or other heated liquid compounds` tor Y treating porous fabrics or other iiialerials,

a vat or receptacle in' which the material is treated, a conduit for leading said heated liquidcoinpound to said vat or receptacle iii which the said material is treated` spraying devices for receiving` said heated liquid compound and adapted to deliver the same under pressure to said material under treatment, mechanism for creating the pressure for the spraying ofthe said heated liquid compound on to said material, and mechanism for varying thedistance between the spraying devices and the material under treatment .for varying the pressure to meet the requirements of the material.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle for asphaltic, bituminous or other heated liquid compounds'for treating porous fabrics or other materials, a vat or receptacle in which the material is treated, a conduit for leading said heated liquid compound to said vat or receptacle in which the said material is treated, spraying devices on opposite sides of said material for receiving said heated liquid compound and adapted to deliver the same under pressure to said material under treatment on both sidesthereof, mechanism for creating the pressure for the spraying of the said heated liquid compound on to said material, and mechanism for varying the distance between the spraying devices and the material under treatment for varying the pressure to meet the requirements of the material.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptaclefor asphaltic, bituminous or other compounds for treating porous or other materials and provided With an inlet and with a discharge outlet, a valve controlling said V.discharge outlet, a source of heating liquid having a boiling point above 212 F., a continuous conduit passing through said receptacle and through Which said conduit said heating liquid is circulated, nieans :tor heating said circulating heating liquid to raise the temperature of the compound in the receptacle to liquey the said asphaltic or other compound, means for circulating said heating liquid under pressure through said conduit, a closed insulated vat or receptacle for the material under treatment, a conduit for leading said heated liquid compound to said closed insulated vat or receptacle from said source of supply,

spraying devices in'said vatfor receiving said heated liquid compound and adapted to Spray the same under pressure onto said lating means for'returning the excess of the heated liquid compound from said insulated vat to the said receptacle containing the liquefied asphaltic, bituminous or other heated liquid compound.

4. In` an apparatus of the character de# scribed, a receptacle vfor asphaltic, bituminous or other compounds for treating porous or other materials and provided with an inlet and With a discharge outlet, a valve controlling said discharge outlet, a source of heating liquid having a boiling point above 212 F., a continuous conduit passing through said receptacle and through which said conduit said heating liquid is circulated, means for heating said circulating heating liquid to raise the temperature of the compoundv in the receptacle to liquefy the said asphaltic or other compound, means for circulating said heating liquid under pressure through said conduit, a closed insulated vat or receptacle for the material under treatment, a conduit for leading said heated liquid compound to said closed insulated vat or receptacle from said source of supply, spraying devices in said vat for receiving said heated liquid compound and adapted to spray the same under pressure onto said material under treatment, and an auxiliary heater connected to said conduit containing the circulating heating liquid and through which said auxiliary heater the heating liquid is nirculated by the said circulating means for maintaining the temperature Within said closed insulating vat above the temperature of liquefaction and limpidity required of such heated liquid compound to cause the same to flow freely and to spray onto the material under treatment.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle for asphaltic, bituminous or other compounds for treating porous or other materials and provided with an inlet and with a discharge outlet, a valve controlling said discharge outlet, a source of heating liquid having a boiling point above 212 F., a continuous conduit passing through said' receptacle and through which said conduit said heating liquid is circulated, means for heating` said circulating heating liquid to raise the temperature of the compound in the receptacle to liquefy the said asphaltic or other compound, means for circulating said heating liquid under pressure through Said conduit, a closed insulated vat or receptacle for the material under treatment, a conduit for leadin said heated liquld compound to said close insulated vat or receptacle from said source of supply, spraying devices in said vat for receiving said heated liquid compound and adapted to spray the same under pressure onto said material under treatment, an auxiliary heater connected to said conduit containing the clrculating heating liquid and through which said auxlliary heater the heating liquid is circulated by the said circulating means forl maintaining the temperature within said closed insulating vat above the temperature of liqueaction and limpidityfrequired of such heated liquid compound to cause lthe same to flow freely and to spray onto the material under treatment, and means for connecting and disconnecting said auxiliary heater and the conduit through which the heating liquid circulates from the said source of the heating liquid medium.

6. In an apparatus for treating porous material with an asphaltic, bituminous, or similar compound, heated to a liquid condition, a closed vat for receiving the material to be treated, means for feeding the material in the form of a sheet downwardly into the vat, a sprayer for projecting the treating compound against the material as the latter enters the upper part of the vat, the surplus compound from the sprayer collecting in the lower part of the vat to form a bath, means for confining the bath in the vat to a level below the action of the sprayer, and means for guidin the material past the sprayer and throug the bath to the exterior of the va 7. In an apparatus for treating porous material with an asphaltic, bituminous, or similar compound, heated to a liquid condition, a closed vat for receiving the material to be treated, means for feeding the material in the form of a sheet downwardly into the vat, a sprayer for projecting the treating compound against the material as the latter enters the upper part of the vat, the surplus compound from thesprayer collecting in the lower part of the vat, an automatically operating pump `for confining the bath to a predetermined level in the vat below the action of the sprayer, and means for guidin the material past the sprayer and throug the bath to the exterior of the vat.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication this 17th day of April, A. D. 1916.

WILLISC. MERRILL. 

